Passenger seats used in many environments, such as aircraft seats used in private and commercial air travel, may include adjustment options that allow a passenger to manipulate one or more supports associated with the seat. For example, passenger seats may include a system for reclining the seatback. The system may include a lockable actuator, such as a lockable hydraulic spring, to allow the passenger to selectively keep the support in a desired position or adjust the support to a new position. The activation of these lockable actuators has been accomplished through the use of fully mechanical linkages, such as a large plunger on an armrest that manipulates a mechanical control cable coupled to a lockable hydraulic spring. Mechanical linkages and the like can occupy substantial volume and can impart substantial weight on a passenger seat, limiting the placement options for the mechanical linkages, limiting the construction options for the passenger seat, and negatively impacting the efficiency of any vehicle in which the passenger seats may be used.
In passenger seat construction, there may be a desire to incorporate designs that invoke innovation, technological appreciation, and the feeling of open space, among other aesthetic goals. These aesthetic goals may be especially useful to give competing carriers, such as airlines, a competitive advantage as offering a more pleasing travel experience. For example, design innovations in aircraft seats in recent years have resulted in thinner and more aesthetically pleasing seats. However, the reliance on mechanical linkages as described above can limit design options for invoking desired aesthetic goals.